'It's infuriating': Lake fire grew after hobby drones disrupted air drops (LA Times)
As a hot wind shifted north and drove the flames toward Onyx Peak east of Big Bear Lake, fire crews deployed to save homes scattered among brittle-dry pines waiting for help from a DC-10 laden with 10,800 gallons of retardant.
It never came. Shortly before 6 p.m. on Wednesday, an incident commander on the ground spotted a hobby drone buzzing near the drop site at 11,000 feet. The air tanker had to turn back, as did two smaller planes following it.
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Officials fighting the Lake fire in the San Bernardino Mountains scrambled to warn the public that it is illegal and dangerous to fly drones in restricted airspace around a fire. Unmanned aircraft are particularly hazardous because authorities have no idea who is controlling them or how they might maneuver.
The DC-10 had to divert and drop its retardant on a fire along the Nevada border, while the two smaller planes had to jettison theirs because they couldn't land with that much weight. Officials said the failed mission cost between $10,000 and $15,000.
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http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-wildfires-southern-california-20150625-story.html
It looks like Onyx Peak is only 9100' high, so 11000' is pretty far above ground level. I imagine the drone got some good imagery of the fire, anyway - but not worth the interference...